Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas has become the latest victim of Spain's new clean-up on illegal homes.

The Legend Of Zorro star is reeling after being ordered to demolish part of his beloved £5million beachfront home.

Banderas has been told corrupt former town hall chiefs should never have given him permission for a massive extension eight years ago.

A court in Malaga has ordered him to knock down the 300sq ft wing of the mansion near Marbella - around a fifth of the property - within eight weeks.

The decision follows the demolition of British expats' Les and Helen Prior's home in the coastal town of Vera, south-east Spain.

A bulldozer tore down their £200,000 property after the regional government revoked the building licence issued by the town hall.

The move has sent shockwaves through expat British and Irish communities in resorts on the popular Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol.

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Spanish-born Banderas used his Marbella home - nicknamed La Gaviota or The Seagull - to rehearse his part in hit film The Mask Of Zorro.

He and wife Melanie Griffith bought the six-bedroom house 12 years ago as their summer holiday home after renting it for nearly a year.

Neighbours have long argued Banderas is the victim of corrupt town hall officials who allowed the property to be built on land used for community benefit after illegally reclassifying it in return for backhanders.

Lawyers for the star are expected to appeal the court ruling.

Spain's socialist government recently announced plans to push for the demolition of thousands of Costa homes.

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Beachfront properties along nearly 500 miles of the country's coastline will be targeted.

Environment ministers behind the plan have said they intend negotiating compensation packages as part of a "carrot and stick" approach.

But they have given no guarantee bulldozers will not move in if talks with regional governments and town halls come to nothing.